Greetings from Kittery, Maine!

The last couple weeks have been pretty busy here for the IAPP publications and research teams. And though much of our focus has been in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — thanks to those of you who took part in the IAPP's survey on COVID-19 and privacy — there's lots of other updates worth mentioning here. 

First, the Westin Research Center unveiled what we're calling the "CCPA Genius." This interactive tool, like its predecessor, the "GDPR Genius," maps requirements in the California Consumer Privacy Act to the proposed regulations, analysis and guidance on compliance, and the California Privacy Rights Act ballot initiative, among others. Cathy Cosgrove, our Westin legal fellow, offers more details about the tool here. Though we're immersed in a pandemic, the California attorney general has made it clear that enforcement will not be delayed, so hopefully this tool will help with your CCPA compliance initiatives. 

We also recognize that there's a lot connected to this law, so we welcome the assistance of IAPP members. As Cathy said in her post, if you notice critical resources are missing from the tool, be sure to let us know at research@iapp.org. 

Relatedly, the research team, with the help of former Westin Fellow and current Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath Associate Mitchell Noordyke, has updated our "US State Comprehensive Privacy Law Comparison" table. Believe it or not, some states are still busy updating privacy bills. Again, feel free to let the research team know if we're missing anything. 

It's worth noting, too, that yesterday, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its Q&A on what employers should know about COVID-19 and the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act and other EEO laws. Employee privacy issues seem to be front and center for a lot of privacy pros right now, especially as pressure to restart the economy continues to build. If you're struggling with any employee privacy issues, or conversely, have tips or guidance for other privacy pros, please don't hesitate to email me at jed@iapp.org. 

Finally, on a somber note, the privacy community lost a pioneer this week. Joel Reidenberg died April 21 at the age of 59 after a battle with leukemia. He was an incredibly influential figure over the course of the last 30-plus years, helping to educate and mentor more than a generation of privacy scholars, professionals and policymakers. A big thanks to Omer Tene, Cameron Russell, Pablo Palazzi, Danielle Citron, Jules Polonetsky and Pam Dixon for sharing their thoughts and memories of Professor Reidenberg. Separately, Omer offered up a heartfelt tribute to Joel Reidenberg in this Privacy Perspectives post. 

No doubt life is short — something many of us are reminded of all too often during this pandemic — but stay strong out there. We'll all have a rocky road ahead, but we'll get through it, one day and one week at a time. In the meantime, here's hoping you have a relaxing weekend.